Solar augmented power system

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an energy conversion system and more particularly to the related apparatus and process. The system includes a reactor chamber (20, 60, 110, 500) having an input (230) for a reactive substance supplied from a supply vessel (25, 70, 120), and means (65, 501) for receiving and transmitting a focused beam of electromagnetic or other radiation into the reactor itself. The reactor chamber is positioned with respect to means for collecting and focusing radiation (10, 50, 100), such as, electromagnetic radiation, such that a beam of focused radiation passes through the receiving and transmitting means provided in the wall of the rector. The focused beam of radiation is, therefore, employed to induce a reactive substance to react to produce reaction products at high temperatures and elevated pressures. Advantageously, the reaction is reversible. The pressurized materials thus obtained in the reactor chamber are controllably exhausted through the output means (220) and introduced into means (30, 80, 150) for converting the heat and pressure of the reaction products into other useful work. Following that conversion, the materials are passed through to a heat sink (40, 90, 160). The reaction materials re-associate to the original reactants and thereafter are stored for recycling. The process can be continuously operated.

The present invention relates to controlled halogen reactions and moreparticularly to solar augmented photoreactions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the past, techniques for converting electromagnetic energy, such as,solar energy, to electrical or to mechanical energy usually involved aflat plate collector wherein fluids or gases were circulated to carryaway the heat energy thus received. These solar collectors absorbedenergy only in the near and far infra-red spectrum leaving much of thevisible spectrum unavailable for heat production. Moreover, thesesystems generally did not use the generated heat for drivingelectromechanical devices, such as, turbines, and generators.

Rhodes disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,577 a solar converting apparatuswherein halogens such as iodine or bromine are introduced into a sealedenclosure and irradiated with solar energy. The solar energy wasconverted to heat and utilized to heat a fluid passing through a pipe.Again there is no teaching of how such converted energy could bedirectly used to drive an electromechanical device such as a turbine orgenerator.

Still further efforts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,998,205,4,024,715, 4,026,112, 4,175,381 and 4,426,354. Such additional effortshave certain drawbacks. For instance, fuel and oxidants are required.Also, additional processing steps are oftentimes required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an energy conversion system and moreparticularly to the related apparatus and process. The system includes areactor chamber having an input for a reactive substance supplied from asupply vessel, and means for receiving and transmitting a focused beamof electromagnetic or other radiation into the reactor itself. Thereactor chamber is positioned with respect to means for collecting andfocusing radiation, such as electromagnetic radiation, such that a beamof focused radiation passes through the receiving and transmitting meansprovided in the wall of the reactor.

The focused beam of radiation is, therefore, employed to induce areactive substance to react to produce reaction products at hightemperatures and elevated pressures. Advantageously, the reaction isreversible. The pressurized materials thus obtained in the reactorchamber are controllably exhausted through the output means andintroduced into means for converting the heat and pressure of thepressurized materials into other useful work. Following that conversion,the materials are passed through to a heat sink. The reaction materialsre-associate to the original reactants and thereafter are stored forrecycling. The process can be continuously operated.

The present invention provides means for augmenting power systemswithout the need for the conjoint presence of an oxidant and fuel.

The present invention provides means for avoiding additional processsteps required to treat and dispose of oxidation-by-products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates, in schematic form the preferred embodiment of thecomponents of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the reaction chamber used in thepreferred embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENTINVENTION

The present invention will now be described in terms of the currentlyperceived preferred embodiments.

Electromagnetic radiation is concentrated and intensified by a parabolicreflector system. The parabolic reflector concentrates the radiationinto a focal point reflector. The focal point reflector reflects thefocused intense radiation beam through a window which is encased in thereactor wall or near an end of thereof. In the preferred mode ofrealizing this embodiment, the window is encased in one end of thereactor such that the intense focused radiation beam passes through thewindow and travels lengthwise through the reactor in the direction ofthe other end of the reactor. A reactive material is emitted into thereaction chamber. The reactive material undergoes, preferably, areversible gas phase disassociation as the focused radiation beam isdirected into the reactor into which the reactive material has beenintroduced. The reaction products, now at elevated temperature andpressure, and removed from the reactor and introduced into an energyconverter, such as turbine assembly. The energy converter should beprotected against the corrosive attack of the reaction products. Thepressurized and heated reaction products generated in the reactor drivethe energy converter. As the heat and pressure are extracted, theexhaust products from the energy converter are passed through a heatexchange - heat sink assembly. The heat extracted from the assembly maybe radiated as waste energy, stored for other uses, or used in anammonia cycle for air conditioning. The exhaust products then exit fromthe heat exchange heat sink assembly. The reactive products reassociateand are re-introduced into a storage/supply vessel. Controllablyinterruptible supply lines run from the storage/supply vessel to thereactor. As is evident, the process may be continuously run.

More particularly, the reflector system includes additional advantageousfeatures. In the case wherein the electromagnetic radiation source isthe sun, the parabolic reflector system tracks the sun by means of anazimuth tracking system. The azimuth tracking system governs theoperation and direction of the reflector. The reflector may have a flator convex shape. While preferably the concentrator is a parabolicreflector, a Fresnel lens or Fresnel mirror may be used. Further,rough-shaped mirror and/or reflector arrays may be used and a reactormay, if desired, be provided with a window along a side thereof insteadof at the end to take advantage of the radiation flux focused by thereflector array.

A solar reflector system can capture and generate about 1 kilowatt persquare meter of reflector surface exposed to the electromagneticradiation source.

The reactor itself is advantageously designed to provide for internalcirculation of the reaction products and reactants. The reactor is,preferably, cylindrically shaped. A window is preferably encased in oneend. The exhaust port is advantageously located at or proximal to theother end. The entry port for the reactive material can be locatedproximal to the reactor end having the encased window. The focusedradiation beam enters the reactor through the window and initiates thereaction in the region closest to the window. The reaction progresses ina reaction zone extending away from the window towards the exhaust port.In this embodiment, the zone is hottest nearer the exhaust port andcooler near the entrance of the chamber. Consequently, currents aregenerated within the reactor such that, for instance, the reactionproducts migrate through the reaction zone toward the exhaust port.Cooler material circulates along the reactor walls back toward theentrance. Also this embodiment continuously provides a cooling effectbecause cool material (gas/liquid) from the supply vessel is introducedto that portion of the reaction zone which is closest to the sightwindow. Still further, reactive material is supplied to that section ofthe reaction zone wherein the reaction is being initiated.

More specifically, the reaction zone and reaction products will haveadditional advantageous characteristics. In the case where the reactionproducts are atomic halogens, the reaction zone will have a temperaturegradient. The temperature nearest the sight glass will be on the orderof 410° K. to 600° K. and will increase to about 1400° K. near the endof the reaction. The halogen reaction products will thus be under highpressure and temperature. The enhanced pressure and temperature impliesthat there is a greater amount of potential convertable energy in thesystem. Still further, the reactant substance surprisingly exhibits veryuseful radiation absorption characteristics such that almost thecomplete spectrum of the elctromagnetic radiation from a solar radiationsource is useful in the photolysis reaction(s) in the reactor in thesolar embodiment.

The heat exchange/heat sink assembly is more appropriately characterizedas a heat sink. The heat exchange/heat sink must be capable ofwithstanding high temperatures. A suitable heat exchange/heat sink is asilicon carbide heat exchanger. More particularly, an exemplary heatexchanges/heat sink may comprise, for instance, a carbonaceous boilerwhich includes a block of impervious, low permeability silicon carbidecapable of operating at temperatures in excess of 2000° F. A suitabledevice is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,165, the disclosure of whichis incorporated herein by reference.

The fluid introduced into the reactor is a reactive substance capable ofundergoing a reversible disassociation reaction under the processconditions of the present invention such that upon exothermicrecombination minimal or no side-product formation occurs. The fluid ispreferably a reactive gas. The reactive gas is preferably energyabsorbing. Exemplary suitable reactive substances include halogens suchas, bromine, iodine, chlorine or interhalogens such as iodinemonochloride or bromine chloride.

The diatomic halogens Cl₂, Br₂, and I₂ have relatively broad absorptionspeaking at about 330, 410 and 490 nm. The quantum yield for productionof atoms from these molecules is essentially from 250 nm and 500 nm.Those molecules, when reacted, convert from about 17% to approximately30%, at 300° K., of the solar radiant energy into the heat of formationof ground state or excited atoms. When diatomic interhalogens areconsidered, the absorption range is extended beyond 600 nm, and thesolar absorptions efficiency is above 35%, at 300° K.

When absorbed photon energy energy exceeds the heat of formationdifference between product and parent, photodissociation occurs with theexcess energy going internal translational energy of the photofragments.Consider the photochemical dissociation of chlorine induced byabsorption in the 250 to 450 nm band. The peak of the absorption at 330nm corresponds to 86.6 kcal/mole (see item (1) below). Since two Cl(²P_(3/2)) atoms are formed, having a heat of formation of 2×28.9kcal/mole or 57.8 kcal/mole, there are 28.8 kcal of extra photodepositedenergy per mole of chlorine dissociated. Alternatively, the dissociationprocess may form ² P_(1/2) and one ² P_(1/2) chlorine atom, but thetotal deposited energy is the same.

    (1) Cl.sub.2 +hv>2Cl* . . . +86.6 kcal/mole, Radiation Augmentation of Cl.sub.2 at 330 nm.

Terrestrial 330 nm radiation is scant, and the description herein willaddress radiation deposition (<500 nm), forming atomic chlorine, item(2).

    (2) Cl.sub.2 +hv>2Cl . . . +57.8 kcal/mole, Photolytic Dissaciation of Cl.sub.2 at 500 nm.

There are essentially two ways of recovering the augmented energydeposited. One is by the exothermic reaction generated by therecombination of the photofragments back into the parent molecules, item(3),

    (3) 2Cl>Cl.sub.2. . . -57.8 kcal/mole, Recombination of Cl.sub.2 or the second energy recovery method, item (4), is to combine the parents with an additional reactant to yield a new product.

    (4) 2Cl+H.sub.2 →2HCl . . . -101.8 kcal/mole, New Product Formation.

Diatomic chlorine has a relatively broad absorption spectrum, peaking at330 nm. While this peak is in the UV range, at 1500 K, the absorptionband broadens and will absorb 30% of the solar spectrum, or completeabsorption of available solar radiation below 500 nm. Pre-heatingchlorine by depositing the longer-wavelength photons in a solid bodyaccesses molecular vibration systems so that more of the radiation <500nm will be used thereby accessing atomic electronic systems.

If the reactive fluid is essentially transparent to the radiation flux,then an additional component must be introduced into the reactor toreceive and absorb the energy from the radiation flux, and to thentransmit to the energy to an absorbing reactive fluid. The energyabsorbers/radiators include suitable diluent materials and suitablestructural apparatus members or inserted elements. In embodiments of thelatter type, the reactive fluid is introduced into the reactor packedwith opaque spheres or reactor packed with a combination of opaquespheres and transparent spheres. The latter packing arrangement providesphysical distribution of the energy absorption and radiating opaquespheres. The flowing reaction fluid, gas or liquid, absorbs the energyof the radiation flux radiated from the packed spheres.

All of the radiant energy deposited into the gases will be released in amanner that is governed by the system kinetics and thermochemistry. Allenergy that is not re-radiated should eventually appear as sensible heatof product gases at a composition and temperature governed bythermochemical equilibrium. This sensible heat is thus available to dowork or to be transferred to another medium. To the extent that absorbedradiation is used to break bonds, it resides in the positive heat offormation of radicals such as Cl atoms. This energy is only available asproduct heat upon return of the system to its original chemical state orto a state of equivalent or lower heat of formation. This results in acompromise or tradeoff between high gas temperatures, which lead toefficient heat transfer and low gas temperature, in which atomrecombination is maximized and heat energy content is higher.

In the present invention, the augmented energy deposited in the reactivematerial is recovered following the exothermic reaction generated by therecombination of the fragments (photofragments in the solar embodiments)back into the parent molecules.

The radiation flux has been described previously as electromagneticradiation. Preferably, solar rays are the source of that radiation.However, it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art thatother sources of radiation energy are suitable. Exemplary alternativesources include photons generated from nuclear excited flash lamps,alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, x-rays, protons, or fissionfragments. In the event an alternative radiation flux source isemployed, then the window will, of course, be selected to transmitoptimally the radiation being used. In the case of solar radiation thewindow must be optically transparent. In any event, the window must betransparent to the radiation flux used and must be physically strongenough to withstand the process conditions.

The choice of the energy convertor is dictated by the energy depositioninto the working fluid. Exemplary energy converters include thepreviously mentioned turbine system and also piston or MHD systems.

The present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2and 4.

FIG. 1 illustrates, in block diagram form, the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention. Radiation source and focusing means 10 generatesand/or focuses a radiation beam which is introduced into reactor 20. Areactive material e.g. a halogen, such as chlorine, from supply vessel25 is introduced into reactor 20. The radiation beam introduced intoreactor 20 initiates a reaction which, in the case of halogens such aschlorine, generates reaction products. The reversible reaction resultsin increased pressure and temperatures being rapidly attained withinreactor 20. The pressurized and heated reaction products are exhaustedfrom reactor 20 and introduced into an energy converter 30. Energyconverter 30 converts the energy retained in the hot pressurizedreaction products into useful work or, for instance, convertsheat/pressure into energy by, for instance, generating electricity.After the reaction products complete the cycle through the energyconverter, such products are introduced into and pass through heatexchanger/heat sink 40. Heat exchanger/heat sink 40 absorbs heat fromthe reaction products and thus cools the products. The cooled productsare returned to the supply vessel 25. As the reaction products areintroduced in and pass through the system before being recycled to thesupply vessel, because of the reactions involved, the starting materialsare re-generated. The apparatus described is thus suitable for use inpracticing the process on a continuous basis.

FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Thereflector means 50 for capturing and for focusing solar rays produces anarrow intense focused solar beam. The reflector means may also includethe previously described azimuth tracking means. The reflector meansillustrated in FIG. 2 is a Cassegrain optical system; other suitableexemplary reflector means include a Fresnel lens or a Fresnel mirror.The solar beam is introduced through a solar optical window 65 locatedat a first end of cylindrically shaped solar furnace 60. The solarfurnace 60 includes means for being charged with material which react todisassociate, preferably reversibly. The materials are contained withinreactant supply container 70. The second end of solar reactor has meansfor exhausting the reaction products produced by the reactions inducedby the direct (or indirect) solar beam. The thus exhausted products areused to drive an energy converter 80, such as a turbine. The productsexisting the energy converter are cooled in a heat sink/heat exchanger90. Heat sink/heat exchanger 90 may for example, use the heat retainedby the products or regenerated starting material, to heat water forother subsequent use. The products reassociate, i.e., regenerate, toform the starting materials. The cooled and regenerated startingmaterials are returned to reactant supply container 70 for re-use. Anammonia cycle 95 as is known in the art may also be provided incombination with the heat sink/heat exchanger.

FIG. 3 illustrates another preferred embodiment. A radiation source 100,such as a reflector assembly, focuses radiation flux into reactor 110.The energy absorbing fluid, i.e. reactant, is controllably released fromstorage and supply vessel 120 and introduced into reactor 110. Theabsorption fluid preferably is chlorine or an interhalogen. Theabsorbing fluid undergoes a reversible reaction, with the equilibriumfavoring the reaction product, in the reactor 110. The reaction productsare exhausted to a heat exchanger 130. A conversion fluid is alsointroduced into the heat exchanger 130 from conversion fluid resevoir140. The heat contained by the reaction products is transferred withinthe heat exchanger 130 to the conversion fluid. The cooled reactionproducts re-associate to the starting materials. The reaction products,i.e., starting materials, which leave the heat exchanger 130 may besubjected to further heat exchanger treatments prior to being returnedto storage and supply versel 120. The heated conversion fluid leaves theheat exchanger 130 and is introduced into an energy converter, such asturbine 150, where the heat energy of the conversion fluid is convertedto useful work. The conversion fluid is exhausted from the energyconverter and passed through a heat sink 160. That sink 160 may, forinstance, be of the spiral fin type with a counter current flow ofanother fluid or, more advantageously, a radiating type of heatexchanger. In addition, an ammonia cycle 165 may be included to furtherextract heat energy from the system in the cooling stage.

In this embodiment the conversion fluid is, most advantageously, forexample, monochlorobenzene. In principle it is also possible to usecertain chlorofluoro carbons and water.

The chief advantage of the two-stage embodiment is that theenergy-absorbing subsystem can be selected for advantageous radiationabsorbing and transferring characteristics, and the working substance inthe energy converter subsystem may be selected for use, for example, fordriving a turbine.

FIG. 4 shows a reactor 200 having a window 210, an exhaust port 220, andmeans for pre-circulating and pre-heating reactants. The means forpre-circulating and pre-heating reactants comprises an inlet forreactants 230, passageway(s) 240 in the reactor wall through whichreactants may circulate, and means for introducing reactants into thechamber (defined by the interior walls) 250. Means 250 may comprise amanifold system having a plurality of openings.

What is claimed is:
 1. An augmented power system comprising:supplyvessel means for releasably storing diatomic reactants; radiation meansfor focusing a radiation flux into a beam of radiation; a reactordefining a closed volume, said reactor having means for receiving saidbeam of radiation and transmitting said beam into the said closed volumedefined by said reactor, said reactor having means for receiving andcharging said reactor with diatomic reactants supplied from said supplyvessel means, said diatomic reactants being selected from the groupconsisting of halogens, interhalogens, and mixtures thereof, whereby theradiation flux focused into the reactor induces the reactants to reactto disassociate in said reactor forming monatomic reaction products atelevated temperatures and pressures, said reactor means further havingmeans for discharging the reaction products from said reactor; an energyconverter for converting the energy contained in the thus formed anddischarged reaction products into another energy form; and means forexchanging residual heat from the reaction products, the reactionproducts undergoing an exothermic reassociation reaction to regeneratethe reactants, said exchanging means further comprising means forrecycling the reactants to said supply vessel means.
 2. An augmentedpower system according to claim 1, wherein said radiation means is aparabolic reflector and focusing assembly for collecting and focusingsolar rays into a beam of radiation.
 3. An augmented power systemaccording to claim 1, wherein said radiation means is a Fresnel lens orFresnel mirror.
 4. Process for augmenting a power system comprising:(a)collecting and focusing radiation into a beam of radiation; (b)providing a reaction chamber; (c) controllably supplying diatomicreactants, selected from the group consisting of halogens, interhalogensand mixtures thereof, into said reaction chamber; directing said beam ofradiation into said reaction chamber to induce the reactants to react todisassociate thereby generating heat and pressure whereby monatomicreaction products are obtained; (e) withdrawing the pressurized andheated reaction products from said reaction chamber; (f) converting theenergy contained in the thus withdrawn reaction products to anotherenergy form; and (g) collecting the reaction products following theconverting step and extracting any residual heat therefrom.
 5. Processaccording to claim 4, wherein said cooled reaction products recombine toform reactants, said recombined reaction products being recycled andre-supplied to said reaction chamber.
 6. Process according to claim 5wherein:a solar reflector is used to perform said collecting andfocusing; said radiation flux is solar radiation.
 7. Process accordingto claim 4, wherein step (g) the residual heat is extracted using a heatexchanger.
 8. Process for augmenting a power system comprising:(a)collecting and focusing radiation into a beam of radiation; (b)providing a reaction chamber; (c) controllably supplying diatomicreactants selected from the group consisting of halogens, interhalogens,and mixtures thereof into said reaction chamber; (d) directing said beamof radiation into said reaction chamber to induce the thus suppliedreactants to react to disassociate thereby generating heat and pressurewhereby monatomic reaction products are obtained, said reactantsundergoing a reversible disassociation reaction such that uponsubsequent of exothermic recombination substantially no by-products areformed; (e) exhausting said reaction products from said reaction chamberand passing said reaction products through a heat exchanger; (f)introducing a conversion fluid into the heat exchanger whereby the heatcontained by said reaction products is absorbed by said conversionfluid; (g) exhausting the thus heated conversion fluid and passing saidconversion fluid through an energy converter; (h) thereafter, furthercooling said conversion fluid and recycling said fluid through said heatexchanger; whereby during said process said reaction products re-combineto form said starting materials, said re-combined reactants beingre-cycled for re-supply to said reaction chamber.
 9. Process accordingto claim 8 whereina solar reflector assembly is used to perform saidcollecting and focusing; said radiation is solar radiation; saidconversion fluid is monochloro benzene; and said energy converter is aturbine.
 10. The augmented power system of claim 1 wherein said anotherenergy form is electromechanical energy.
 11. The augmented power systemof claim 1 wherein said halogen is chlorine.
 12. The processw foraugmenting a power system of claim 4, wherein said step of convertingthe energy formed in the thus withdrawn reaction products to anotherenergy form comprises rotating a turbine.